This paper examines Alappuzha’s ongoing effort to shift to a decentralized solid waste management regime. Recounting the solid waste crisis that came to a head in 2012, the paper traces the evolution of the town’s decentralised solid waste management practices to glean the key lessons and the considerable challenges that remain in adopting an alternative service management regime. Specifically, the paper reflects on the challenges to scaling up available technology options for integrating circularity and livelihoods in solid waste management. Alappuzha’s experience with decentralised solid waste management indicates that the social dimension in innovation (ensuring buy-in from the local community) is no less significant than the innovation in the technological realm. In fact, the Alappuzha case shows that a relatively rudimentary set of technologies can lead to quantum jump in efficiency of the waste management regime when the local community plays a proactive role in the functioning of the system. The Alappuzha experience indicates that decentralized SWM requires continuous engagement with the end-users and is not easily amenable to top-down technocratic solutions. It was observed that community participation in technology selection led to better buy-in with the end-users conscientious of operations and maintenance requirement.